Friday, October 22, 2010

Supermarket & Jewish Ghetto in Venice

This morning was cool and partly cloudy here in lovely Venice. After I washed some clothes by hand (easier) and hung out on our elevated clothes line we took off for Capacinno and then to the Billa Supermarket. What luck but we found how the goods are shipped and loaded into the store!

The semi truck is loaded onto a barge and brought right out front of the supermarket! Following are photos inside the market.

Eggs don't seem to be refrigerated.

These giant cookies are for the feast of St Martin on November 11. This is a shortcrust biscuit baked in the shape of a man on horseback and decorated with colored sweets. Children beating pots and pans do the rounds of the neighborhood singing traditional songs and demanding sweets. Almost sounds like America's Halloween although we have seen Halloween decorations and cookies in some stores too.

The deli section.

These weren't in the supermarket but in a bead/jewelry shop!

The two above photos were in the Jewish Ghetto in the Cannaregio District.In medieval times Jews were grudgingly allowed to do business in Venice but they were not permitted to live there until 1385. In 1516 the Doge compromised by restricting Jews to a special (undesirable) neighborhood. It was located on an easy to isolate island near the former foundry, or geto, coining the word "ghetto" for a segregated neighborhood. Bet you didn't know this little factoid!

Gas station for boats on the Fondamente Nuove.

Me at an old water well.

This was an actual bead shop. Not many here.

I bought this little painting in the ghetto which shows gattos and cani racing in the Regatta on the Grand Canal.